The nitrogen-removal performances of three full-scale piggery wastewater treatment plants, with different organic and nitrogen loads, at the capacity ranges of 95 to 130 m 3 /d, were compared in this study. Plants 1 and 2 can be characterized as the modification of anoxic-aerobic operating systems, while an anaerobic and anoxic-aerobic system was used in plant 3. The influent piggery wastewater concentration for plant 1 was relatively lower, but with higher organic and nitrogen loads, resulting in higher chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonium-nitrogen in effluent. Plant 2 was operated with strong piggery wastewater, resulting in a higher operating temperature. The high temperature could inhibit the nitrifying activity in plant 2. Although plant 3 was operated with a higher influent total COD-to-total Kjeldahl nitrogen ratio (TCOD:TKN), an additional external carbon source was required to polish the final effluent to remove nitrogen. Influent COD in plant 3 was used in the anaerobic-anoxic reactor for both methane (CH 4 ) production and denitrification. Based on various mass balances, including caloric, COD, and alkalinity, the key elements for the successful nitrogen removal from the piggery waste were reactor temperature (less than 358C), influent TCOD:TKN (greater than 6), and alkalinity-to-TKN ratio (greater than 3). Water Environ. Res., 77, 381 (2005).

The piggery waste characteristics greatly vary with types of manure collections and the amount of water used. If solids are separated well, the waste strength will be greatly reduced resulting in lower TCOD/TKN ratio of 4 (average). If solids are separated by a mechanical scraper, some solids will remain and the waste strength will be increased with a TCOD/TKN ratio of 7. This study was conducted to find an optimum operating condition for nitrogen removal with these two ratios. Nitrite nitrification was targeted because it could be a short cut process for savings in oxygen for nitrification and carbon requirements for denitrification. The study results indicated that nitrogen loading rate and pH were the most important factors to be considered for stable nitrite nitrification. The applicable nitrogen loads were estimated to be 0.3 to 2.0 kgTKN/oxic m3/d for high TCOD/TKN ratio without pH control. With higher pH > 8, NO2N/NOxN ratios in oxic stages even with lower nitrogen loads were increased. The SBR with low TCOD/TKN ratio less than 4 required additional alkalinity. For a complete denitrification, the influent TCOD/TKN ratio must exceed 6 with oxic/total reactor volume ratio of 0.5. Nitrite nitrification and denitrification could save about 35% in tank volume and 50% in carbon requirement, respectively. However, 9.5% oxygen saving could be expected during the operation with low TCOD/TKN ratio. The elevated temperature due to the heat released from COD removal also enhanced microbial activities for nitrification and denitrification as well as ammonia stripping. However, careful attention must be provided for the reactor temperature not to inhibit the nitrification process.

Nightsoil and piggery wastes generally present high strength organics and nitrogen. This study evaluated the nitrogen removal characteristics with the existing and modified nightsoil and piggery waste treatment plants. The existing conventional plants showed 20 to 40% nitrogen removal, but the modification with SBR or MLE process could remove effectively both nitrogen and organics with the minimum COD/TN and alkalinity/TN ratios of 6 and 3.6, respectively. Nitrite nitrification and denitrification rates obtainable at higher nitrogen loads were faster than the rates of nitrate nitrification and denitrification resulting in less reactor volume requirement. However, the higher nitrogen loads increased the organic loads resulting in the reactor temperature inhibiting nitrification. Thus, a combined treatment with anaerobic digestion with the adjustment of influent bypass rates was proposed to reduce the reactor temperature and the external carbon requirement. The biological treatment could discharge about 1,100 mg/L soluble COD and 50 mg/L soluble nitrogen, respectively.

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This study was conducted with an influent containing about 20% solids, obtainable from scraper type separation resulting in about 40 g/L TCOD and 5.5 g/L TKN, to find an optimum operating condition for nitrogen removal. Both laboratory scale reactors and a full scale treatment plant removed 80 to 90% nitrogen by biological means up to 35 degrees C with 10% by ammonia stripping. The full scale plant however was operated at 35 to 45 degrees C, and at 45 degrees C, 30% nitrogen was removed by biological means, 50% by ammonia stripping, 14% by chemical coagulation and 6% by activated carbon adsorption, respectively. Struvite formation could not be observed at 30 degrees C or higher. Nitrite nitrification and denitrification could save about 35% in tank volume and 50% in carbon requirements at 25 degrees C, respectively. For a complete denitrification with a proper temperature, the influent TCOD/TKN ratio must exceed 6 with oxic/total reactor volume ratio of 0.5. The influent TCOD level or organic load should be lower so as not to increase the reactor temperature above 35 degrees C and avoid nitrification inhibition. The estimated optimum nitrogen loading rates were 0.15 for summer and 0.23 kg TKN/m3/d for winter, respectively. With a cooling facility, the nitrogen loads could be increased to 0.35 kg TKN/m3/d equivalent to an organic loading rate of 2.5 kg COD/m3/d.